Locals can now help to save used oral care items from ending up in landfill whilst also helping to raise funds for Midhirst School. Students in the Paritutu class at the school are in charge of running the Colgate Community Recycle Drive at the school, aimed at promoting the recycling of previously unrecyclable oral care items, including toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, dental floss containers and packaging. The drive, supported by international upcycling and recycling comapny TerraCycle, was launched at the school last week. "It is a great idea because it reduces the amount of stuff going in the landfill," Jessica Gavan (12) says she thinks it is great to be able to recycle items that otherwise end up in the household rubbish. "But no actual dental floss please!" Bethan Upton-Hansen (12) is hoping people use some common sense when they bring in dental items for the drive. "Put used toothbrushes in a plastic bag first, we need to think about hygiene as well." Keren Whareaitu (12) says the mitigative helps the school raise needed funds. "We get money back from TerraCycle for the amount of waste they collect, plus we have the chance of winning a share of a prize pool of $32,500." Tyler Smith (13) is impressed with the way the items they collect can be recycled. "They make them into things like benches and rubbish bins which is much better than them ending up IN the rubbish!" "It is estimated that seven million toothbrushes and 16 million toothpaste tubes are used in New Zealand each year. This exciting national challenge is a New Zealand first. We're calling on local residents to dig deep by saving all their used oral care items as part of Colgate's Oral Care Brigade and support Midhirst school," says Anna Minns, general manager, TerraCycle. "Even if we get just a small percentage of those items, we will be able to make a difference. Reducing landfill waste is important for everyone, not just us, but the students who will come after us." Jessica says she hopes people from all around the district, not just those who have children enrolled at the school, will make the effort to drop off their recyclable oral care items. "Our school values environmental sustainability and we have been encouraging our students to recycle with our council recycling programme." Colleen Tett, the teacher in charge of the project at the school, says they are excited that TerraCycle is providing a solution for previously difficult to recycle waste. Locals are encouraged to drop off their oral care items and packaging to the public access collection box at the Midhirst School Office at 8 Erin Street Midhirst, R. D. 24, Stratford, 4394, Taranaki during school hours. Two cents is earned for each piece of oral care waste that the school sends in for recycling so every bit will help. - Stratford Press By ILONA HANNE